Devotion
by psychotic7796
Summary: Balthazar really didn't know too much about his apprentice's home life. *Mentions of child abuse, slight language, and light slash*
1. Chapter 1

A/N- I saw the Sorcerer's Apprentice when I was with my family on vacation. It was awesome, but since everyone else was like, "Oh, it was okay." I really didn't feel like getting into another argument with my cousin (who I wanted to punch in the face most o the time) so I didn't give my honest opinion about it. Here it is now, after I just saw it for the second time with my grandma yesterday:

OMG OMG OMG OMG I TOTALLY LOVED IT SOOOOO MUCH! THERE WERE SO MANY AMAZING EFFECTS, AND BALTHAZAR WAS JUST TOTALLY AWESOME, AND I ADORED THE JOKES THEY MADE, IT WAS SO FUNNY, AND I REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY HOPE TO SEE A SEQUEL AND AHHHHH! I really loved it. :3

So here's just a short thing I felt like writing for it. Because there has to be a better reason why Dave is so awkward and jumpy then just being embarrassed in front of a lot of kids that were only ten.

* * *

Balthazar honestly hadn't been expecting to meet any of Dave's family when they were walking home. Really, before that point, it had never crossed his mind to ask Dave about his family or home life, at least not past the main idea. His apprentice had never brought it up, so, knowing how some topics could be more sensitive then others, he never brought it up either. For all he knew, they could have been criminals, or dead, and he would have just brought up painful memories.

He really didn't want to be accused of making Dave's life a living Hell again. It hurt enough the first time he had said it.

But as he watched Dave freeze in the middle of the street as a man that looked startlingly similar to him walked towards him, looking like the cat that caught the canary, Balthazar thought that maybe he should have made more of an effort to learn about the boy's life before he became involved in it. It wasn't like he hadn't tried to ask questions, but Dave had always seemed reluctant to answer them. He pressed a little harder, occasionally, and when he did, Dave would reply and tell him what he wanted to know. It never seemed like a full answer, though. It never felt like Dave was telling the complete truth.

Surprisingly, it was one of the few things Balthazar was fairly certain Dave was able to lie to him about without him realizing it.

"Are you alright, Dave?" Balthazar asked, his face blank of his inner thoughts.

"Uhh..." His apprentice's eyes were locked on the man who was swiftly advancing towards them. "I think it would be best if we walked in the opposite direction."

"And why would that be?"

"N-no particular reason," Dave laughed nervously, fidgeting in place as he began to back up.

Balthazar couldn't help the slight smirk on his face as he said in a casual tone, "You really are-"

"A horrible liar, I know, I know..." Dave interrupted him quickly before he could finish, grabbing his arm and pushing him in the opposite direction. Balthazar stumbled forward, not expecting the short response from the boy. Turning around to face Dave and ask what exactly was going on, he bit down on his question when he saw the man finally approach the young adult.

"Why David, what a coincidence," The man smirked, placing a hand on Dave's shoulder. Balthazar's eyes narrowed as he observed the scene. Dave stood there, completely still, his face calm despite his tense posture. He was leaning, just so slightly, away from the stranger, enough that he looked casual. "It's been so long since I last saw you. In fact, I don't think I've seen you since you moved out. Why haven't you invited your mother and I over to dinner?"

"I've been busy, Uncle Vergil," Dave was looking at a point over Vergil's shoulder, not meeting the dark eyes that mirrored his own. "College life isn't easy. I'm lucky if I have time to have dinner with my roommate."

Vergil frowned, taking Dave's hands into his own without his permission. "Aw, you couldn't make time for family? Even a phone call would have been nice."

Dave shrugged a shoulder carelessly, appearing unruffled. "Sorry." His eyes still wouldn't meet Vergil's.

Vergil's eyes hardened abruptly and his grip tightened. His teeth bared into a snarl as, keeping one hand holding Dave's hands in place, he used his other hand to shove the sorcerer-in-training up against a wall of a building they had passed on the street. "Stand up straight and look me in the eyes when you're talking to me, boy."

With his eyes still locked on something over his uncle's shoulder, he shook his head slowly. "No."

The part of the city he and Balthazar had been walking through was not heavily populated. It was in between the city and the suburbs, so only a few people were witness to what was happening between the relatives. Balthazar, for the first time in what must have been years, was truly shocked, unsure of how to proceed.

For just a moment, everything was hushed. For just a moment, it felt as if the world had been completely paused.

But the moment passed, and the silence was broken by a reverberating smack that echoed in the quiet evening. The loud sound smacked Balthazar out of his stupor, immediately snapping his temper.

Stalking forward, he grabbed Vergil's wrist roughly, dragging it away from Dave's now lightly bleeding face.

"Excuse me," Balthazar's voice was calm, as it always was, though an icy edge was heard underneath the polite tone. "But I don't believe we have met. My name is Balthazar Blake. And this is my apprentice that you just had the gall to strike."

Vergil was instantly amiable and cheerful once more, ignoring the painful grasp the long-haired man had on his wrist.

"Pardon me, but what exactly do you mean by apprentice? I thought my nephew was going to college. Apprenticeships for jobs don't require college degrees, last time I checked."

Balthazar's face continued to stay impassive as he pushed Vergil away from Dave, putting himself in between the two. His lips twitched downwards when the slightly taller man's nostrils flared and his eyes flashed with anger at the movement.

He released Vergil's wrist as he replied, "Of course Dave still goes to college. His apprenticeship is with me in his spare time. But we digress."

"I have the right to know what is going on with my former charge's life-"

"And I have the right to tell you to get the fuck out of here and never touch my apprentice again." Balthazar interrupted coldly. Without letting the other man answer, he continued on, his voice growing icier and sharper with every word. "Now you will leave here. You will never come near Dave again unless he wishes it. And maybe, just maybe, I will let you leave with only this warning and I won't end your life in the most gruesome way I can think of." He leered at the now apprehensive man. "And believe me; My imagination is quite vivid."

Without another word to the uncle that was frozen in place by the sheer aura of the sorcerer in front of him, Balthazar helped Dave to his feet, taking his hands gently.

"Come on, David." His voice was kinder and quieter when he spoke to Dave, even though he addressed him by his full name. (Usually something he only did when he was angry)

Dave nodded, not speaking as Balthazar took his arm, guiding him home. His limbs felt heavy, and his stomach was churning. He could feel the blood trickling down his face, dribbling down his neck...

The walk to the house they shared went by quickly, in Dave's hazy opinion. His mind felt sluggish, almost like it was exhausted. For all he knew, Balthazar could have been talking to him, asking him questions, or telling him off, and he wouldn't of known.

He blinked as he felt something cool wipe his face and neck. Looking down and slowly coming over the shock that seemed to have taken over him, he saw he was sitting down on one of the stools in their kitchen, Balthazar standing over him with a worried expression he was valiantly trying to hide in order to keep up his "Cool Master" facade. A washcloth was in the older man's hands, parts of it stained red. His eyes shut closed for a moment as he tried to make sense of what was going on. It took him a moment to register the slight pressure on his face, and, absentmindedly, he brushed his fingertips across the bandage Balthazar had placed there.

His fingertips froze when everything came crashing down. Eyes widening, he mumbled, shaking his head slowly, "No, no, he isn't supposed to be here... He isn't supposed to know where I am..."

Balthazar knew the state of shock Dave had been locked in wouldn't last forever. He was lucky it had lasted until he could get him home to safety. While he knew he wasn't the best person to be comforting the boy, he was all Dave had at that moment.

"Dave, it's okay." Balthazar carefully raised a hand, only to quickly drop it when Dave flinched, edging himself as far away on the stool as he could, still shaking his head and mumbling quietly. "It's only me."

"He isn't supposed to be here..." Dave's voice was desperate as he leaned his head into his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. His hands weaved their way into his hair, a nervous gesture he used even when he wasn't having a nervous breakdown.

Balthazar cautiously tried once more, reaching his hand to tilt Dave's chin up so they were looking at each other. Quietly, softly, he reassured him, "Dave. It's just me. It's your annoying master that makes you wear 'old man' shoes and practice spells over and over again. It's Balthazar. You know that I would never hurt you, Dave." His hand glided from Dave's chin to his hair, running through it soothingly and using his other hand to delicately pry the boy's hands from his head. "Now, you need to calm down, Dave. I'm going to take you over to the couch in the living room. I'm going to let you have a few minutes to relax and realize that you are completely safe here and whoever that man is will most definitely NOT get in here. Okay, Dave?"

Balthazar waited for Dave's shaky nod. Once he was sure Dave wasn't going to sprint off or panic again, he placed an arm around his apprentice's shoulder, guiding him once more. After making sure that Dave would be fine for a few minutes alone, he stepped into the kitchen. Quietly, so he didn't make the other anymore jumpier, he took some mugs from the cabinet. Patiently, he poured milk into the mugs, making sure not to fill either up too high, before placing them both into the microwave.

He was a patient man. After spending over a thousand years searching for one boy, waiting for said boy to open up to him and tell him what happened between him and his family member wasn't difficult.

Or, at least, it wasn't supposed to be difficult.

But seeing that vulnerable, that utterly horrified look on his apprentice's face... It brought out his protective instinct. It made him want to attack whoever made that look come into existence in the first place. His fist gripped the counter until his knuckles turned white, and he could feel the magic in the air surrounding him react to his emotions. Forcing himself to calm down, forcing himself to hold onto his patience, he bit down on his temper and the magic sparking around him stopped abruptly. The microwave chimed, tearing Balthazar away from destructive thoughts.

Walking back to the living room with a mug in each hand, trying not to look too anxious, Balthazar took a seat next to Dave, who was much more collected then he had been just minutes prior. Handing him a mug, he shrugged at the confused look he received. "I have been alive a long time, and I still haven't come across anything more relaxing then a cup of warm milk and a listening ear."

Dave averted his eyes to the mug in his hands, not looking at Balthazar. His fingers drummed against the mug, another nervous gesture Balthazar had learned he had.

"You don't have to talk if you don't want to," Balthazar's voice was almost silent as he informed Dave of this fact. "I just want to help. And whether that means me being a sympathetic listener, or just letting you know that I'm here for you, or even just sitting here in silence and helping you calm down..." He trailed off, and Dave nodded, still tapping his fingers anxiously.

Balthazar inconspicuously kept an eye on Dave as the silence grew. Dave was looking straight ahead dispassionately, every so often taking a sip of the warm drink.

The older sorcerer couldn't decide whether the silence between them was uncomfortable or not. Then again, did it really matter whether it was comfortable or not? Dave wasn't going to be comfortable in this situation, no matter where they were or what they were doing.

"When I was younger," Balthazar brought his eyes to Dave's as the apprentice began to speak, slowly, quietly. "Even before my nervous breakdown after first meeting you, I was always known as a little eccentric. A little weird. That was just how I was.

"My mom and dad never really got along. My dad was always on business trips, while my mom spent all of our extra money on herself. I never spoke with my dad, I don't think, before he died. I was just kind of there in the house all of the time. I don't think either of my parents cared for me. Not really. The only things I can remember my mom doing for me is buying me clothes when I needed them, buying my toys when I asked her, and waking me up for school. "

Dave's tapping against his mug never desisted, and Balthazar didn't dare speak for fear of scaring Dave into silence once more.

"My father died when I was about nine. About a year before I stumbled into Arcana Cabana. Not even that, I don't think. My mom started to get angry a lot more often, so I would avoid her as much as I could. She yelled a lot.

"But then, she suddenly got really happy. She was laughing and smiling a lot. She wouldn't always be in a bad mood. I found out later it was because she had started dating my dad's brother. My uncle.

"Of course, that didn't mean that she didn't stop yelling at me. I was sent home a lot with a note from my teachers saying something or other about me getting into a fight with another kid or freaking other kids out or making kids feel bad because I would act like a 'know-it-all'. Usually, it wasn't my fault. I remember that." Dave's eyes were glued to his feet as if they had all of the answers. Balthazar was literally biting his tongue so he wouldn't interrupt.

Dave took a deep breath and continued. "So my mom did get mad at me a lot, still. She was seriously starting to consider taking me to a therapist to control my 'behavioral issues', mostly because of my uncle's insistence. Arcana Cabana was the straw to break the camel's back, so to speak. I guess that was why when we met again, I was so unwilling to learn. I wanted to blame someone for my assumed insanity. I wanted to blame someone that wasn't my mom. She might not have been a good one, but she was still my mom. I didn't want to admit that a lot of my problems stem from her."

"But she wasn't the only one that hurt you, right?" Balthazar gingerly encouraged.

Dave shook his head mutely.

"By the time I was twelve my uncle and my mom were getting married. We had already moved into the house where my uncle was living, both because it was a bigger house then our one-story two-bedroom cottage-house-thing and because my mom wanted a new start where she wasn't known as the mother of the crazy kid.

"My uncle took it upon himself to 'help' my therapist and get me to become a perfect stepson-slash-nephew as soon as possible. Any time I did something he saw as 'abnormal', 'unnatural', 'weird', 'freakish', or 'crazy', he would punish me." Dave was barely aware of the mug shattering in his hand, his magic responding to his turmoil. His hand began to bleed, but he didn't notice as he continued, voice soft, almost deadly gentle. "For over five years, until I was able to get a scholarship to college, I had to put up with the charming 'Uncle Vergil' every day. It was very, very rare when there was a day where I wasn't punished. Uncle Vergil, though, was smart. He didn't injure me any place that it would be visible. He told my mom to buy me all long-sleeved shirts and pants. He acted like the concerned, helpful, shy stepfather that just wanted to help his poor, mentally ill stepson."

Balthazar was caught speechless, only able to choke out, "Why didn't you fight back today? You could have easily used a plasma bolt, or set him on fire, or something-"

"I'm not becoming him." Dave firmly interrupted, looking up at Balthazar determinedly. "I will never, ever use my powers to hurt someone unless I or someone else is seriously in danger. I don't care if it's stupid, I don't care if it's going to get me killed, but I am not becoming him. I already have his face, I don't want his personality."

Dave was caught off guard completely when Balthazar wrapped his arms around him snugly, whispering repeatedly, "I'm so sorry... I'm so, so sorry..."

Dave blinked, unsure of how to respond. "Um... You do realize that this isn't in anyway your fault, right? So you really have no need to apologize, I mean, I should be apologizing for dumping all of this on you like this, all of a sudden-"

"Don't ever apologize for talking," Balthazar cut him off, still hugging the boy tightly. "I'm your master, I'm supposed to know these kinds of things."

"But this really wasn't your problem-"

"David, it shouldn't be your problem either."

"I-I shouldn't of burden-"

"Don't you dare say that this is burdening me, David Stutler," Balthazar snapped, putting the boy at arm's length and staring him straight in the eye. "You do not have to shoulder all of this alone. You aren't alone anymore. I will always be here for you, David. It is only natural that I help you through this." Balthazar's tone softened as he pressed a hand against Dave's face. "You are my world now, David. I swore the day that you scrambled into my shop that I would help you through all of your trials and problems. Understand?"

Not even seconds after that last word, Balthazar was met with an armful of apprentice.

Dave didn't sob hysterically, or cry about his lost childhood. He just clutched Balthazar, breathing in his scent as he tried to regain control of his wild emotions.

His voice was quiet, almost incoherent. "Thank you. Just... Thank you. For everything."

Balthazar just held Dave close, pressing a kiss against the top of his head as his eyes shut closed, content for the moment.

Barely an hour later, when Dave was fast asleep, using Balthazar's chest as a pillow and hugging one of his hands to his chest, Balthazar crept off of the couch, dislodging himself from Dave's death grip. He winced when he heard Dave whimper in his sleep and, quietly, took his trench coat off, draping it over the boy's frame. It seemed to be enough, because he bunched one of the sleeves in his hands and turned over, still asleep.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Balthazar slipped out of the house, completely silent.

The next morning, Dave took his time in waking up, not wanting to move from the comfortable position he was in. He was warm, completely relaxed, and for the first time in a long time, he wasn't worrying or freaking out about anything.

But, eventually, he reluctantly opened his eyes, blinking sleep out of his eyes blearily. Peering around, he frowned in honest befuddlement at where he was sleeping. He sat up, looking at the coat that was lying across his body. With an embarrassed flush, his memories of the night before came rushing back to him. Scuttling to his feet, he looked around, wondering where Balthazar was.

He received his answer when he looked into the kitchen, seeing the experienced sorcerer cooking breakfast.

"Morning." Dave greeted, yawning as he walked further in. Looking over Balthazar's shoulder, he asked groggily, "What are you making?"

"Hm... It was supposed to be an omelet, but I think it's turned into really burnt scrambled eggs now." Balthazar inspected the pan, tilting his head from side to side. "Well then, Dave," Balthazar cheerfully clapped his hands together turning around to face the still half-asleep boy. "Seeing as this is my fifth failed attempt and we are now out of eggs, lets go out for breakfast."

Dave nodded, stretching his arms out. "Just let me take a shower and get changed real quick. It'll only take a few minutes. Can you get the newspaper while I get ready?"

"Funny thing about that. I was going to go grab it, but the paper wasn't there." Balthazar turned to the sink, dropping the frying pan and various other cooking utensils into it.

A shrug answered Balthazar's statement. "Oh well. I guess the paperboy just skipped us by accident."

"Yeah, probably. He's like twelve or something, isn't he?"

Another shrug before Dave turned and disappeared into the bathroom.

Balthazar, when he heard the water start to run, let out a small breath of relief, pulling the "lost" newspaper out of his back pocket. A decidedly malicious smirk was playing at his lips as he casually dropped the newspaper onto the still hot, burning stove.

"Whoops." Balthazar mouthed as he swatted his hand over the paper, easily letting the flaming paper be put out and transported to the garbage.

Were one to have seen the paper before it were destroyed, they would have been able to read about Vergil and Diane Stutler's brutal, heartless murders.

But really, Dave didn't need to read about that anyway.

"Ready to go, Balthazar?"

"Of course, Dave. Where do you want to go to eat?"

"That diner a few blocks down looked pretty good. Wanna head there?"

"Wherever you want, Dave."

A/N- This was meant to stay as a one-shot, but if people say they want more, I'll happily write more. Hope you liked it, please review if you have time!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N- Yes, this is being continued into a full story! I had a lot of help from McRaider getting this all set up, and I really appreciate it! This chapter is dedicated to her.

I'm not sure whether this story is going to end up as slash or not quite yet. Feel free to tell me your opinion, but in the end, it will ultimately be my decision. I have the tendency to want something to turn out one way, but as I keep writing, I notice that it would be better a different way. So for now, the story could end up either way. I figured I would warn you all about this.

Anyway, here it is! Chapter two! I'm happy with how it turned out, hopefully you guys will be also!

* * *

The walk to the diner was filled with lighthearted teasing between the two. Dave was back to how he always was, a relief to Balthazar who wasn't sure if he could handle another breakdown from the boy.

"Hey there, table for two?" One of the waitresses asked, not more then two seconds after they stepped through the door. Dave let the door fall shut behind him, smiling a little when he heard the chime of the bell on the top of the door.

"Yeah, preferably a booth," Balthazar answered for them. The blond-haired woman smiled and nodded, grabbing two menus as she waved them to follow her.

"Can I get you boys anything to drink?" She asked, flipping the little notebook almost all waiters and waitresses always had open.

Dave opened his mouth to answer, only to be cut off by Balthazar who replied, "Decaf coffee for me, and a water for him." He squinted at the name tag on her chest. "Thank you, Amy." He gave her a detached smile, though to the woman it seemed polite.

Amy grinned happily. "No problem, mister." Turning around and pocketing her pen and notebook, she disappeared to another table.

Dave raised an eyebrow. "Any particular reason why you felt the need to order for me?"

"Simple." Balthazar took off the hat he always wore, tossing and twirling it around in his hands casually. "You were going to order normal, not decaf coffee, right? Coffee isn't good for you and I know for a fact that you drink it every time you're in your lab."

"I'm not going to die just because of a few cups of coffee." Dave rolled his eyes, opening his menu.

"First off, I didn't say you would die, I said it wasn't good for you. Second, it's not a few. You're drinking coffee by the gallon, Dave."

"I don't drink that much..." Dave grumbled, crossing his arms and slumping in his seat.

"How much money have you spent on coffee in the past week alone?"

Dave was saved from answering by the arrival of their drinks. A sweating glass of water was placed in front of him, while a steaming mug of coffee was put into Balthazar's waiting hands.

"Thank you," Dave told Amy, who smiled cheerfully once more. He smiled back, not quite as bright, but equally kind.

"No problem at all!" She winked as she disappeared, never noticing the harsh glint Balthazar's eyes gained at her flirtatious gesture.

Dave took a nice, long sip of water, only looking up when he heard Balthazar begin to speak.

"Did you know that one entire percent of the world's population has the potential to be a sorcerer?"

Dave's face took on a surprised visage. "No way!"

Balthazar's lips twitched. "Way."

"But that's almost seventy million people!" He protested, disbelieving. "How come more people don't seem to know about magic, then? There would have to be sorcerers that made mistakes and let others without magic learn about it, especially inexperienced ones-"

"Note that I said 'potential', Dave," The older man interrupted before Dave could go onto a full rant. With a flick of his hand, a wave of air blasted Dave, playfully scolding him. A mischievous glint was found in his eyes, and Dave chuckled lightly. "While that many people have the ability to become a sorcerer, less then one percent of those with the capability actually learn any spells or are able to use their magic." He nodded his head towards the family sitting in the booth behind Dave. "That entire family has hidden promise, none will ever learn how to use said promise."

"Why?"

"Every sorcerer, whether they are a Merlinian or Morganian, choose their apprentice carefully. They choose someone who is able to handle the stress of learning such a demanding art. They choose someone who is able to let go of the life they led before magic and, essentially, have only their master as their social companion. They choose someone who is able to understand how serious this is."

"Then why the heck was I chosen to become a sorcerer?" Dave's eyebrows furrowed as he drummed his fingers against the table. "I'm not exactly the best at dealing with stress, and I didn't take this seriously when we began. Remember the broom incident?"

Balthazar snickered, waving vaguely. "You do know that I wasn't really mad about that, right Dave? I did the exact same thing when I was just beginning to learn from Merlin." Dave's eyes widened comically and Balthazar forced himself to stop laughing at his apprentice's expense. "You're way too modest, Dave. Yes, you worry and stress a lot. But that's a lot better then having it the other way around. And very few students take sorcery seriously at first. They are too excited over what is happening to them, over all of the new things they were about to learn, that they want to have fun and rush through everything. But you calmed down, didn't you? You learned your lesson, and now you take this just as seriously as I do." Balthazar gave Dave a wry smile, patting his hand kindly. "By the time you're a master, and not an apprentice anymore, you'll become much more observant, and you'll understand what I mean when I say to follow your instinct on matters like this.

"When I saw you walk into the store all those years ago, I could tell you would make a great apprentice, even if you weren't the Prime Merlinian. I have no doubt that, had the dragon rejected you, I would have either found a master for you, or I would have taught you myself anyway. It's just an aura every worthy sorcerer has from birth until death."

Their conversation had to be paused as Amy reappeared, notebook and pen in her hands.

"What can I get you boys to eat?" She questioned jovially, her entire face filled with joy and happiness.

"I'll have pancakes and bacon, with some toast, please." Dave told her, handing her the menu.

"What kind of bread would you like?"

"White, please."

"And you, sir?" She turned to Balthazar, her grin faltering just a tad when she saw his icy eyes.

"Eggs and bacon with wheat toast."

"Alright then," Her gleeful mood returned immediately as she picked up the menus with a cheery smile. "I'll put your orders in right away."

As she walked away, Dave murmured absentmindedly, "Her happiness is unnerving..."

"I can confidently agree with that, Dave."

Balthazar and Dave's heads both turned to the doorway when it opened, though for different reasons. Dave was looking at the bell once more, while Balthazar's eyes had zoned in on the newspaper underneath the man's arm. Looking out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Dave turned back, looking at his glass of water as he casually stirred the drink with the plastic straw.

When he was sure Dave wasn't looking, he quickly stabbed his hand in the direction of the newspaper, making sure to do it as discreetly as possible. The newspaper, to any sorcerer's eyes, would be invisible, if he had done the spell right (Which he did, of course. He was over a thousand years old; If he couldn't do such a simple spell, it would be rather pathetic of him) though it would only last for ten minutes at the most. Hopefully, the man would be sitting somewhere where Dave wouldn't be able to notice the newspaper and try to get one of his own.

Dave, Balthazar had learned within the first month of living with him, hated the news. He hated watching it on TV, and he hated reading the newspaper. However, the boy also felt as if he had an obligation to know what was going on in the world. With a determination he rarely showed in anything other then physics or magic, he forced himself to at least read the newspaper every day.

Balthazar seriously wondered if some deity when he had been born had decided that they were going to make sure he only had good luck once or twice every century. It really, really wasn't fair.

Trying to keep Dave from remembering he hadn't read his daily paper was all Balthazar could do. At least, for the moment it was all he could do.

Dave shot Balthazar a bewildered expression as he nearly fell out of his chair, his hand looking like it was reaching for something. His other hand was behind his back, putting the older man into what must have been a very uncomfortable position.

"Are... Are you okay?" Dave cautiously inquired. Leaning out of his own seat so he was face-to-face with his master, but not falling over, he tilted his head to the side.

Balthazar had a sort of, "deer-in-the-headlights" look as he answered, "I'm fine, Dave."

"Any particular reason you almost flung yourself out of your seat?"

"Not really. Purely for amusement."

"I...see." The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Balthazar responded.

"You're a horrible liar."

"Well," Dave searched for the right words to use without setting off his master's unpredictable temper. "I can't exactly understand why flinging yourself out of the booth would be amusing."

"In normal circumstances, it wouldn't be. But today is different, and therefore, I find throwing myself out of my seat rather entertaining." Balthazar's face was completely serious, and Dave truly couldn't tell whether he was telling the truth, lying straight to his face, or just blathering for the heck of it.

Dave scrutinized Balthazar's bland look before slowly, carefully asking, "Is this one of those times where I just accept it as your insanity at work and pretend that you don't need a therapist?"

Balthazar found himself nodding before he comprehended the words Dave spoke. "Ye-Wait. I don't need a therapist in the first place." His eyes narrowed. "I'm only a little insane."

"Uh-huh. Of course you are."

He frowned, eyebrows knitting together. "You don't believe me, do you?"

The two looked up simultaneously when Amy showed up in front of them, a tray with their plates on it. She peered down at them, obviously wondering why they were half in their seats and half out. Shaking her head and deciding it wasn't any of her business, she smiled that annoying, bright smile she had every time she appeared in front of them.

The two sorcerers sat straight up, Dave hurrying with a blushing face, Balthazar calm as always.

"You had the pancakes, right?" Plopping the plate down in front of Dave, she winked at him, which went completely over the oblivious guy's head. Balthazar was not as oblivious as his apprentice, which explained his abrupt, blank look.

"Yep, that was me. Thanks." Dave moved the plate over so it was closer to him.

"And then you had the eggs," Amy winced at the icy look the older man had on his face. Dropping the plate hurriedly, she scurried off, not speaking another word.

Dave, ignorant to the frightening aura his master was giving off, dug into his pancakes, expression blissfully content. Balthazar began eating with much less gusto, his dour mood dissolving into amusement at Dave's childlike actions. He had poured almost the entire bottle of syrup over his pancakes, drenching it completely before taking large bites that made his cheeks puff out.

The younger male looked up from his plate when he heard Balthazar snort bemusedly.

"They're not going to disappear if you chew before swallowing, Dave. Really."

Dave huffed, dropping his fork and crossing his arms. Unable to say anything because of the food mashed into his mouth, he finished his mouthful before shooting Balthazar a mild glare.

"I'm hungry." He defended himself, sniffing.

"You wouldn't be hungry if you actually ate more then a sandwich twice a day," The other pointed out dryly.

"I would eat more then a sandwich twice a day if I actually had time to think about eating more." Dave retorted.

"You don't have to do all of those extra projects you do, Dave."

"True," He conceded, taking a quick sip of water. "However, since I am already missing quite a few of my classes for our lessons, I need these extra projects so I don't get kicked out." Dave looked up and, wide-eyed, hurried to reassure Balthazar when he noticed the slightly hurt look the older sorcerer sent him. "Not that I regret our lessons or anything. I just still haven't found a good way to balance my responsibilities. I'm getting better, though." His eyes softened. "I love learning from you, Balthazar. Please don't ever think otherwise."

Balthazar rolled his eyes, reaching across the table and smacking Dave's head lightly. "Don't get sappy on me, Dave. I can't take too much of that mushy crap until I barf."

Dave laughed, ducking and rubbing his head where Balthazar hit him.

Balthazar smirked, eyes glinting as he crumpled up the newspaper hidden behind his back.

Breakfast was finished in a relaxed silence. Amy brought their check out, to which Balthazar insisted on paying for.

"If this still hasn't gotten through to you yet, Dave," Balthazar explained, deliberately slow. "I have been alive for centuries. I have more bank accounts and more money then I will ever be able to use even if I live for another thousand years. Paying for breakfast isn't going to hurt me in any way."

"Fine, fine." Dave let the subject drop, smiling crookedly as the money and check were handed over to Amy once she returned.

Amy's eyes glanced over to Dave and, raking over his form quickly, she seemed to come to a decision.

"I never did really properly introduce myself." Her smile (Which was quickly getting on Balthazar's nerves) was back as she placed her hands on the table, getting rather close to Dave's face. Dave pressed himself further into the seat, eying her confusedly. "I'm Amy, Amy Moore."

"Dave Stutler," Dave replied cautiously. "How do you do?"

"Just fine," She all but purred. "Though I'd be doing even better if you agreed to go on a date with me on Friday."

Dave blinked, obviously surprised. Balthazar mentally counted to ten, biting down on his tongue abruptly.

"Um, what?"

"There's this really nice club downtown," Amy explained, her smile never wavering. "I'd love it if you would accompany me there."

Dave's mouth opened and closed multiple times before he finally stammered out, "I-I'm sorry, but I can't.

Balthazar and Amy's eyes widened and narrowed respectively.

"E-excuse me?" Amy's voice stuttered, disbelieving over the fact that the obviously nerdy young man was turning down her "gracious" offer.

"Geez, Dave," Balthazar joked, standing up and brushing his pants free of crumbs. "Way too be blunt. Come on, let's get going. Don't you have classes to get to?"

"You would be correct," Dave jumped to his feet, brushing past Amy quickly. "Let's go!" Essentially dragging Balthazar out of the diner, they disappeared, leaving an unfairly offended waitress in their wake.

When they were outside, Balthazar raised an eyebrow in his embarrassed apprentice's direction. "Why didn't you agree, Dave? You haven't gone out in a long time, it probably would've been fun."

Dave rubbed the back of his neck, eyes focused on his feet. "W-well, I'm already busy with school and magic lessons. I-I can't really afford to take a night off, can I?"

"We could have worked around that." Balthazar's eyes narrowed. "What's the real reason, Dave?"

He sighed, still rubbing his neck, still focused on his "old man" shoes. "I want to be able to have my complete attention on magic right now. I don't really want to chance being in a relationship with a girl that needs to know what I'm doing all of the time and expects me to be able to go to her at any time if she has a problem. It was hard enough juggling everything with Becky. She knew about magic, yet she still expecting her to be my first priority." Looking up through his eyelashes, he added, almost shyly, "Besides, aren't you the one that said sorcerers are chosen to be taught magic because they're able to understand they can't really have a social life? That they can't have relationships outside of the one with their master?"

For a split second, Balthazar could only stare, completely caught by surprise. Before Dave could notice his shock, Balthazar wrapped an arm around Dave's shoulders, squeezing him into a half hug.

"You made the right choice. I'm very proud of you, Dave."

It made Balthazar's day when he saw Dave's ecstatic expression at those words.

Selfishly, Balthazar was pleased over Dave's loyalty to both magic and him. Selfishly, Balthazar was glad Dave didn't want to have a relationship. Selfishly, Balthazar didn't care that it wasn't healthy for Dave to only have him.

Balthazar wanted to protect Dave. All those other people in the world... They would only hurt him. It was his responsibility, his job, his duty to make sure Dave was safe and happy. Keeping Dave from getting attached to other people was the only way to keep his heart from being harmed. No one would be able to hurt Dave emotionally or mentally if they never got close. Balthazar could easily keep Dave from being hurt physically. But the only way to be positive that he would never be harmed emotionally was to keep him away from others.

It really was the only way.

* * *

A/N- Before I get reviews saying, "OMG Balthazar is WAY too OOC! What's your problem, dummie?" Let me explain my reasoning for having him as possessive and without morals as he is.

I'll start with my reasons for him having more lax morals.

Balthazar has been alive for centuries upon centuries. Everyone has to admit that he has not come out of such a long life without some insanity, correct? He even admits to being a little insane in the movie (Even if it is just him joking.) I really, seriously doubt that Balthazar would be completely firm with his morals. While when he had been learning under Merlin he might have thought killing was wrong no matter what someone had done, it isn't completely crazy to think that his belief may have been changed after he saw more of the world and learned more about human behavior. In this story, I view Balthazar as believing, if he had a "justified" reason, killing someone would be fine. He would view it as righteous punishment. He would think it was justified. Not right, and not good, definitely not. But justified.

Next up is his possessive nature I gave him.

Again, Balthazar has been alive for over a thousand years. He has been betrayed by his best friend (Horvath) and (in this story) Veronica left him. Not to mention the many friends, comrades, and allies that he has either been betrayed by, or he has watched die over the years. I cannot imagine him trusting anyone easily. But when someone worms their way into his heart, and gains his trust, he believes in them completely. He wants to do whatever he can to stay with them for as long as he can. I can see him as being obsessed with keeping his precious people safe and happy. He holds onto those he gets close to. I can't imagine that he would want to let anyone else around his precious person/people, just on the off chance that they would cause them pain or harm. Can you blame him? He's been alone for so long; It's only natural he would want all of Dave's attention on him at ALL times. He's like a neglected child; Craving affection and attention. For the majority of his life, he's been searching for one person. One single person has been his goal for hundreds of years. Unable to get close to anyone, unable to make a friend that would be with him the entire time. He needs stability and affection. He wants Dave to give him said stability and affection. Therefore, this and everything I stated before this, results in his possessive nature.

I hope this clears everything up for people. I figured this would be easier then me answering to the reviews that said he was OOC. Believe me, I know how OOC I made Balthazar; That was the main point of this, to be honest. I'm not mad that people pointed this out, though! Really, I'm not! I just wanted to clear this up for everyone. A large majority of my reviews for chapter one mentioned it was OOC, and putting this here instead of replying to all of the reviews I get and explaining it over and over again is a lot easier.

Thanks for reading! Please review if you have a chance!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N- Wow, I actually got a chapter up before the deadline I set for myself. Mark your calenders, this is, more then likely, a one-time thing.

I'm in shock, I really am.

Well, not much to say except for these few things:

1) Thanks for ALL of the reviews! They really put a smile on my face, and they're the reason why this chapter is up early.

2) I have become about 99 percent certain that this story will be slash. I'm sorry to all of those that were hoping for something else, I really am. This chapter, though, really made me realize that, with Balthazar's possessive nature, I honestly can't, in good conscience, write them having a platonic relationship, when it would ruin the story. I can't write platonic, father-son, familial relations well, and I don't want to ruin this story. Now, there is still a very, very slim chance that it won't be slash, but I'm almost positive it will be slash. Again, I'm sorry to those that were hoping for father-son.

3) Enjoy the chapter, and I'd appreciate it a lot if you guys kept reviewing! Any opinions are welcome!

4) Oh, and I forgot to do this in the first chapter. Disclaimer: I don't own Sorcerer's Apprentice, or any of the characters. If I did, there would be a lot less romance, a lot more insight onto Balthazar's past, and a lot more angst. 

* * *

Dave wasn't sure what to make of his day.

After eating breakfast with Balthazar, Dave had rushed to his physics class. He took his usual seat after running in, as usual. He pulled out his book and checked what chapter they were on, as usual. The only thing different that had never happened in his years of college were the eyes that were completely staring at him. He tensed when he felt just about everyone's eyes on him. Almost everyone in the room was staring and whispering. Self consciously looking at his reflection in the window to make sure he didn't still have some syrup on his face or something of the sort, Dave eyed everyone cautiously. He did his best to ignore the eyes on him, feeling paranoid. Was it just his imagination, or was he hearing his name being spoken by the majority of his peers?

When the professor walked in, he immediately walked over to Dave. Dave, praying and hoping he hadn't done something stupid or forgotten some oral presentation, gulped and, just as he was about to apologize profusely and beg not to be kicked out, his professor began to talk in a low murmur.

"Mr. Stutler, no one would blame you if you were to miss class today." He was giving Dave a pitying look that went right over the student's head.

Dave blinked, confused. Assuming that he was saying that because Dave looked pale or sick, (for what other reason would his professor basically tell him to skip school?) he reassured him, "I'm fine, professor." His professor raised an eyebrow, doubtful. "Really." He added, hoping that would satisfy the stern man.

With a sigh, the man walked to the front of the room, beginning the lecture. Dave listened halfheartedly and automatically wrote down the notes he would need, though his mind was elsewhere.

He and Balthazar hadn't talked about their discussion from last night, something Dave was thankful for. He was quite happy to pretend Balthazar didn't know anything about his past. Very, very happy, in fact. He had ignored his uncle/stepfather's impact on his life since he college. He had been content to pretend that Vergil was just the big, bad monster under the bed that everyone knew wasn't real. He had acted like his mother was on a long vacation.

Dave didn't want to deal with his mother and stepfather. He didn't want to deal with how much they affected him. He didn't want to deal with how much it hurt that they never cared.

No one had ever known about them before Balthazar. It was a lot easier delude himself when he had no one trying to comfort him, no one throwing him pitying glances when they thought he wasn't looking.

He remembered when he had still lived with Bennett. One night, after a really long, bad day, filled with tiring lectures, ruined college supplies, and a failing grade, Dave had collapsed onto the couch, his face buried into the pillow that reeked of dog fur, soda, and potato chips. He had groaned loudly, not noticing his roommate in the dining room.

"It's times like these that I wouldn't mind living back with Vergil. Being smacked around by him, at least, is expected."

"Who's Vergil, man?"

Dave had shot up, head snapping over in Bennett's direction. "Vergil? Vergil who?"

Bennett frowned, standing up and moving to the recliner by the couch. "That's what I'm wondering, dude. What, was he a bully or something in high school?"

Dave shifted his weight, avoiding his friend's eyes. "I...suppose you could say that. Vergil-"

Sticking a finger in Dave's face, Bennett stated, before he could continue, "And don't you even try to lie to me. I know your face, Dave, and I know when you lie. Besides, you suck at lying."

Dave's lips twitched downwards. "Vergil is my stepfather. We didn't get along real well. That's all there is to it, really."

"Then why were you saying he smacked you around? That's child abuse, dude." Bennett wasn't sure whether to joke or not, so he laughed nervously at the end.

"I meant verbally smacking around," Dave had lied. Standing up, Dave stalked into his room, saying without words that the conversation was over.

Both of them knew Dave was lying. They knew Dave wasn't telling anything close to the truth of the matter.

Bennett never tried to ask Dave about it again. Vergil's name became taboo between them after that short conversation, even if Bennett didn't know why.

Dave wasn't sure whether to be relieved or hurt by Bennett's actions. He chose to be relieved after weighing the pros and cons of Bennett prying deeper into his past. While Bennett suspected something was wrong between Dave and his family, he never pried. Therefore, Dave never had to confront his past or admit that it even happened to anyone.

Having Balthazar witness him and his stepfather interact wasn't exactly how Dave had imagined his master finding out about his family. He knew Balthazar would find out; Really, it was only a matter of time. Balthazar was observant, and he had expected his luck would run out pretty quickly. He was a horrible liar, and the older sorcerer always seemed to sense when he was stressed. For being as old as he was (or maybe because he was as old as he was), Balthazar was extremely patient and understanding. He understood that college was difficult and took up a lot of Dave's time. When Dave to get distracted during a lesson, Balthazar would finish up whatever he had been teaching him and tell Dave to take a break, or he would suggest a movie for them to watch together.

Dave, while he was usually unaware of his surroundings and subtle meanings, was able to decipher the fact that Balthazar genuinely cared about him. It was a foreign concept, to say the least, but Dave was able to accept this.

Of course, he did have his doubts. Maybe Balthazar only cared about him because he was the Prime Merlinian. Maybe Balthazar only cared about him because he felt a responsibility to him. Maybe Balthazar only cared about him because he felt he could benefit from Dave's powers.

Then, Balthazar would say something that made Dave feel like he was on top of the world.

"_Good job, Dave. That was right." _

"_You got that on the first try? Great, Dave!" _

"_Dave, you're becoming an amazing sorcerer." _

"_I'm very proud of you, Dave." _

And damn it, every time he said those words, _every time_, Dave glowed. His day would seem twenty times better just because of those words. He could have failed a test, gotten mugged by some guy, lost his notes on his latest project, yet those words would brighten the world and make him feel invincible. They made him feel grateful to be who he was. They made him proud to be the person he's grown into.

Dave, when he had still been dating Becky, had been asked, "If you had to compare yourself to any animal, which one would it be?"

His answer was thought over for just a few moments before he replied, honestly, "A dog."

With his his loyalty to, and his desire to please, his master, he felt like he had been transformed into a little puppy after Morgana's defeat.

Before the final face-off with Morgana, Dave had been a reluctant apprentice, only learning because he had to. Magic had been an obligation Balthazar had thrust into Dave's unwilling arms. Most of the time, when someone was forced to do something they didn't want to, they did the job halfheartedly and didn't try very hard. Easy to say that was how good of an apprentice Dave was.

But when the weight of having to save the world vanished, and Dave experienced the feeling of truly being able to breathe without worry since the Arcana Cabana incident, he realized how lucky he was. Being able to defeat Morgana, the strongest, but most evil, sorceress known to man, with just some plasma bolts, electricity, and his knowledge of physics? It was almost unbelievable.

Guilt had pressed down on him as he thought about how much stress that had put on Balthazar, the only one who completely understood the threat Morgana had been right from the beginning. And then, even after her death, when Balthazar was still with Veronica, and Dave was still with Becky, he had still wanted to teach him magic. He had wanted to continue Dave's education of sorcery, despite Dave's stubborn nature.

Dave owed Balthazar so much. He had sworn he would take sorcery more seriously. He had sworn that it would be his primary focus, no matter what.

Becky hadn't been able to comprehend that she wasn't his entire world anymore. She had broken off their relationship, not liking that he wasn't giving her as much attention as he used to. Dave had, admittedly, not been that upset.

Balthazar and Veronica's break up had been a little bit different. Veronica, during her stay in the Grimhold, hadn't changed at all. She was still pining for normality, still saw the world in black and white, still had the desire to always know what was going on.

She had not approved of Dave killing Morgana, to say the least. To her, it was murder, no matter how one observed the situation. Needless to say, Dave tried to stay out of the sorceress's path. Balthazar had attempted to talk to Veronica, hoping it was just because she was overwhelmed with the new world.

Unfortunately, that wasn't so, and Veronica left Balthazar. Balthazar, also, had not been upset with their break. Dave hadn't gotten all the details of what happened between them, but he was okay with that. It was Balthazar's business, not his.

Dave was startled out of his thoughts as the bell rang, grimacing when he realized he didn't remember anything from the entire class. Gathering up all of his belongings, he was surprised when a girl that had been sitting a row behind him came to his seat.

"I am so sorry, David," Her voice was completely sincere as she patted his shoulder. She quickly walked off, though, not waiting for a response.

Dave's eyebrows knitted themselves together as the same thing repeated himself, the people always scampering off quicker then he could ask them what they were apologizing for.

He jumped when he heard a loud ringtone chirp. Digging through his bag, he answered the phone with a quick glance at the screen. "Hey Bennett, what's up?"

"Dave, man... I'm so sorry-"

"Why is everyone apologizing?" Dave groaned, standing up and tossing his bag over his shoulder. "Did everyone decide, 'Oh hey, let's apologize to Dave for everything we've ever done to him in his entire life today'?"

Bennett stared at the phone, gobsmacked. "Dude, did you read the paper? Watch the news? Hear anyone talking about it?"

"Talking about WHAT?"

"Man... I dunno how to break this to ya... But your parents are dead."

Dave froze. "Excuse me?"

"It was all over the news this morning," Bennett grasped for words, not expecting that he would have to tell his best friend about his parents' deaths. "Apparently it was pretty bad. Dude, I thought you would be the first to know, I'm so sorry-"

Dave couldn't hear anymore, couldn't bring himself to speak. His mouth felt like it was filled with cotton, his ears were ringing. His head shot up when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Dave Stutler?" A low, baritone voice inquired. Dave watched the man, feeling his grasp on the situation loosen and crash to the ground. In flames. Bright green flames like Balthazar used when he wanted to be dramatic. The man was obviously a police officer or investigator or some sort of law enforcer. He was probably in his fifties, with light gray hair and bright blue eyes.

"Bennett?" Dave heard himself say, relatively calm. "I have to go find out what's going on. The reason why I didn't know about this was because Balthazar and I didn't get our paper today and we left for breakfast early. I'll talk to you later." He hung up and, without looking at the police officer, answered, "Y-yeah, I'm Dave Stutler."

"I'm going to have to ask you a few questions, kid. I'm Officer Jonathon Reed."

Dave paused, taking a deep breath before asking shakily, "Can you give me a minute?"

"Of course." Jonathon waited patiently as Dave put his head in his hands, taking slow, even breaths as he fought to calm down.

This couldn't be happening, it really, really couldn't...

Once he felt he could breathe without hyperventilating, he sent a text message to Balthazar, typing with the ease only a teenager or young adult could.

"_Something came up, gonna be late. Dunno if I'll make it to our lesson tonight." _

Dave got to his feet, shutting his eyes briefly as he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. Gaining control of his legs, he nodded to Jonathon. "Sorry. I... Well, I'm assuming that you're here to ask me about my parents' death, right?"

Jonathon nodded, face blank but eyes wary.

"Well, I just learned they were dead about five seconds before you came in." Dave tried, weakly, to grin, but it came out as a pained grimace. "I really have no idea how to react right now..." He laughed, a hysterical note to it.

"I would assume an emotional breakdown," Jonathon's voice was bland.

Dave thought of making a joke, perhaps saying that he already had his breakdown for the week, but something told him Jonathon Reed didn't take jokes well. Or laughing. Or smiling. Or maybe just joy in general.

"I don't really cry, Officer."

Dave couldn't help but wonder if interrogation rooms modeled themselves after the ones they show on TV. Everything was as he imagined it; The plain, gray room, with a metal table and a mirror covering an entire wall. Something told him it was a one-way mirror.

Basically, it looked like it came right out of NCIS.

Dave jumped as his phone vibrated and rang. Flipping it open, he read the message Balthazar sent him.

"_I hope that unless you got yourself arrested (or worse) you get here soon." _

Dave stared for a moment before replying.

"_What if I'm being interrogated so they can possibly arrest me?" _

Balthazar's answer was a lot quicker this time.

"_Where are you?" _

"_Downtown, talking to forensics investigators and such." _

"_...I'll be there in a few minutes." _

"_Balthazar, please don't make a scene."_

"_Really, I'm offended by your lack of faith in me, Dave." _

Dave scowled when he read those words. Those were the words that meant Balthazar was about to do something stupid. Clicking on the keys of his phone as quickly as he could, he jumped when the phone was taken out of his hands by a somewhat older woman.

"'Balthazar, don't you dare do anything stupid, or else'?" The woman quoted, raising an eyebrow. "What kind of name is Balthazar?"

"A really, really unique one."

"Who is Balthazar? A friend of yours?"

"Of sorts."

Dave took a moment to scan his eyes over the woman, discreetly measuring her up. With bright red, short hair that was cut in a similar style to his own hair, and deep, dark brown eyes. Her nose was pointed, and she had a rounded face. She was wearing dark, thin pants with a matching jacket. Black earrings with a matching necklace and bracelet adorned her frame. Dave wasn't one to make assumptions, but all-in-all, she looked very arrogant.

She sniffed, crossing her arms, and, belatedly, Dave realized that staring at the woman probably wasn't a good way to make a first impression. Especially when women immediately jumped to the conclusion, "Oh, a guy's looking at me. He MUST be checking me out, and I MUST look offended by his perverted actions, even though I'm secretly I'm flattered."

Dave would never understand women. He wasn't sure he wanted to. It had taken him one (bad) relationship with Becky to show him that romantic relationships were just a pain in the neck and a waste of time. Women always wanted men to know what they were thinking, right as they were thinking it.

Men, despite popular belief, were not mind readers. Not even sorcerers could read minds very precisely, according to Balthazar.

"The mind is far too complex for you just to be able to 'read' it," Balthazar had lectured, just a few weeks earlier. "If you tried to read someone's thoughts, it would be far, far too easy for you to give them brain damage without meaning to, or find your minds mixed together."

"What would happen if your minds mixed together?"

Balthazar stared for a moment before saying, quietly, "Depends on how long. If it was for a long time, and neither could hold onto their sense of self, they both would become a mix of each of them. Their memories would be mixed and switched, their personalities would have parts of each intertwined together. It wouldn't be pretty.

"If it was for only a few seconds, maybe a minute or two, the people involved would share memories, feelings, and emotions. It's said that when this happens, they gain a deeper understanding of the other person. That, even if they have two completely different opinions, they will at least understand WHY the other person has their opinion on a deeper scale then possible through just words."

"Why don't sorcerers use try to make that happen, then?" Dave had been confused, thinking that having something like that happen would be a good thing if the people were close enough.

Balthazar had gotten an odd look on his face as he replied, "A few reasons. Too many things could go wrong if their minds meshed for too long, or not long enough. It lays you completely bare before the other person. It's literally impossible to hide anything from the other one. I don't think there is a sorcerer that truly trusts someone enough to let them see every aspect, every thought, so thoroughly, and so completely."

Dave hadn't questioned farther.

"So you're Dave Stutler," The woman's voice was silky smooth, and realization dawned on Dave. Why there was a young, pretty (he assumed; He really wasn't that good at telling who was attractive and who wasn't) woman here instead of a hardened, scary man like Jonathon Reed. They thought he would be more willing to talk and admit to doing a crime to a hot woman, then to an old man.

Unfortunately, for them, Dave had been actively trying not to be superficial since he was ten.

"So you're a woman I've never met before," Dave joked.

Her eyes narrowed. "Something tells me that you haven't met many women, Stutler."

Dave didn't look very upset, or even very surprised by the comment. Instead, he noted neutrally, "Something tells me you're having a bad day. Would you like to talk about it?"

She wasn't able to hide her surprise quick enough. Surprise quickly turned to anger and she snapped, "We're not here talking about me, boy. This is about you. My name is Melanie Cameron, and I'm the woman that's going to catch the person who killed your parents."

Dave made a show of looking around himself and clapping his hands together. "Okay then. Start the interrogation whenever you're ready, ma'am."

Her face was bright red, though whether with anger or embarrassment, Dave couldn't tell. He didn't know what made him so cocky, so mischievous in that moment, but he felt like the woman needed to be riled up real good, just for a little bit.

Maybe it was Merlin influencing him. Balthazar mentioned that his master had a devious, playful side.

"Where were you last night?" Melanie asked lowly, taking a seat in front of him so her back was to the mirror.

"I was at home, asleep on the couch."

"Can anyone verify that?"

Dave froze, his entire body tensing. Balthazar, technically, didn't exist to the government. They could do background check upon background check and find absolutely nothing about him. If they were to investigate further, and try to find out if Balthazar had any part in the case, it would be bad.

Magic couldn't fix everything.

So Dave said, as calmly and carefully as he could manage, "No one... No one can verify that."

Melanie's eyes were locked on his form, and Dave had the distinct feeling that she was looking at him as if he were her prey.

"What were you doing all of yesterday before the event happened?"

"W-well," Dave sat back in his chair, getting as comfortable as he could in a piece of metal, trying to calm his now frantic nerves. "I woke up, ate breakfast, went to a less advanced physics class to give a presentation, went to lunch, met up with a friend, took a walk, got dinner and saw a movie with said friend, walked home, and fell asleep on the couch."

"Did you see Diane or Vergil at any point, yesterday?"

"N-no. I d-didn't see either of them." Shutting his eyes, he begged his stammer to stop, or at least become unnoticeable.

The woman glared at him. "I think you're lying."

"I think-" He faltered off when her glare intensified. "That you're right..."

"Good," Her voice was silk and velvet once more as she began to talk in what she thought was a seductive tone of voice. "Now why don't you tell me the truth. Where did you see Diane or Vergil yesterday, and when?"

"I-"

The door to the room opened, and Dave let his head hit the table with a groan.

There, in his magical outfit of an old trench coat and old man shoes, with the old hat thrown in for effect, stood Balthazar.

Yes, Dave was pretty certain that he had no idea what to make of his day.

* * *

A/N- Thanks for reading, and please review if you can!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N- Alright, I'm not really happy with this chapter, because I think it could've been better, but... *shrug* It's the best version of the chapter I've written, and I don't think I can write it again without my brain exploding/imploding/turning to mush. It's also a little shorter then my usual chapters, though I'll try and make the next one longer.

If there are any questions anyone has, either leave them in a review or send me a message, and I'll be sure to let you know. Thank you!

* * *

"Dave, Dave, Dave," Balthazar shook his head in mock disappointment. "I thought we were staying in together tonight?"

Dave gave him a dry look. "I thought you had to get my anti-itch cream, _Uncle Balthazar_."

The older man quirked an eyebrow in his direction.

"Sir, you can't be in here," Melanie scowled, standing up and stalking over to him as she ignored their exchange. Poking his chest threateningly, her scowl deepened when Balthazar's expression didn't change.

"You would've been better off with the blond waitress, Dave," Balthazar informed him, ignoring the woman's presence.

"I think I'd be better off without women in general, Balthazar."

"Did your parents hate you or something?" Melanie turned to Balthazar, snorting. "Seriously; 'Balthazar'? What kind of name is that?"

"A damn awesome one, if I do say so myself," Balthazar smirked, strutting past her. Taking his place behind Dave, he grinned. "Now I'll make this clear in nice, easy terms for you, Melanie. Dave didn't kill his parents, he doesn't know who killed his parents, and he doesn't have any useful information for your investigation. I was with him all of yesterday, and I was with him at the time of their murder."

Melanie glared, crossing her arms. "Whatever you say, old guy, but, if you haven't noticed, we can't just take your word for it. Now, I'm going to have to ask you to leave and wait for one of my coworkers to take you into another room and question you."

Balthazar shrugged, feigning a casual mood. Placing a hand on Dave's hand and squeezing reassuringly, he used his other hand to shove an object into the other male's pocket. He patted the pocket to draw Dave's attention to it, light enough Dave felt it, but not hard enough for him to look down.

"Relax, Dave," Balthazar murmured when he felt the thumping heartbeat of his apprentice. "Everything will be fine. You haven't done anything wrong. You just need to answer their questions, and then we'll go home."

Dave nodded, biting his lip. Balthazar took a moment to run his hands through Dave's hair soothingly, before reluctantly stepping away, stalking out the door after shooting a glare at Melanie.

Melanie followed Balthazar outside for a moment, giving Dave a chance to discreetly take the object Balthazar had slipped him out of his jeans. Puzzled, he placed it on the table, observing it from all angles.

It was a gold chain, with a simple charm on the end of it. The charm was of a gold cube, nothing more, nothing less. Dave clasped the necklace around his neck with a shrug. Balthazar wouldn't of given him something like that if it would hurt him. Maybe it meant something, maybe it was just a random gift, or maybe it was a complete other thing. Dave trusted Balthazar, though.

His attention was brought away from his thoughts as the door opened.

"How the hell did you come across that guy?" Melanie raised an eyebrow in Dave's direction as she stalked back in. Dave flushed, shrugging.

"Pure coincidence."

* * *

Balthazar tipped the chair he was sitting on up, placing his feet on the table. With his head tilted back so he was gazing up at the ceiling, he crossed his arms, waiting for whoever was going to question him.

Outwardly, he was cool and collected. His countenance showed none of the turmoil flying through his rapidly moving thoughts.

In hindsight, committing murder at two in the morning in a fit of blind rage wasn't the best way to keep Dave safe. It definitely sated his anger; But if he had the sense to leave them alive, he probably could have saved both himself and his apprentice a lot of future problems.

Unfortunately, Balthazar had, in probably the first time in decades, let his temper reign over him and allow him to do something very... stupid. While a lot of times, he didn't think ahead or about the consequences of some of his actions, he usually did his best to keep himself from doing something very stupid.

Needless to say, he had spent a few minutes banging his head off of a wall while Dave was at school.

He didn't regret killing them. They needed to be out of Dave's life. The only way to fully assure himself that Dave would be able to move on with his life without his parents dragging him down was to take them out of the picture permanently. Even with their deaths, the trauma they had already cause his apprentice would take time, patience, and compassion to help him heal. They had already done so much damage, and Balthazar wasn't willing to let them get away with their crime.

Balthazar had no illusions about what he did. It was wrong. It was so, so wrong. Rarely in his thousand-plus years of living had he been forced to kill someone. It was even more uncommon for him to kill a person without being provoked or without a choice. He wasn't a stranger to death; Not by any stretch of the imagination. Whether he was the cause of it or not, whether he was the killer or just a witness, it wasn't a foreign concept. He knew death pretty well for being an almost-immortal.

Really, the only reason why Balthazar might lose some sleep over their deaths, was because he was apprehensive about Dave's reaction. He didn't want to lose his apprentice because of those people. He didn't want their corpses to drive a wedge betwixt them.

He just found Dave. He couldn't lose him because of a brief lapse in judgment on his part. After centuries of searching, he couldn't -wouldn't!- let the boy out of his grasp.

Balthazar, when Merlin gave him the task of finding the Prime Merlinian in his dying breath, was not thrilled. He had never planned on taking an apprentice; It just never appealed to him. However, he understood that Morgana needed to be conquered. The grimhold was a temporary solution, he knew that the second that he captured Veronica and Morgana.

He had searched rigorously, in spite of his reluctance. In his mind, he had imagined his apprentice would be an awful brat. A dim-witted, rude, obnoxious child were only a few of the traits Balthazar had assumed the Prime Merlinian would hold.

It was the one time that he was ecstatic at being wrong.

When he met Dave, when the boy was only ten, he could tell he was smart, and good at heart. When he met Dave again, ten years later, he was impressed. The younger male had, of course, been confused and short-tempered, not that Balthazar blamed him. Balthazar had essentially thrown him into a battle Dave had no idea about; He had almost expected Dave's reaction, based on his personality.

He didn't blame Dave for being reluctant to learn about magic, either. Balthazar had grown up knowing sorcery and magic was real, without a doubt. Merlin had essentially raised him after his parents abandoned him, and, well, he was _Merlin._ Balthazar had watched Merlin do spells on a daily basis for most of his life. He had started reading the Incantus the moment he learned the alphabet. Dave hadn't.

Dave had grown up learning science and math. Balthazar didn't think Dave was one of those children that believed in all of their hearts that some magical being would come and sweep them off of their feet, letting them save the world. It was just Dave's luck that he had been dragged into almost every kid's dream. A wizard, coming up to you and saying that you were able to use magic and had to save the world? What child didn't want that kind of life? (Other then Dave, of course.)

Balthazar's eyes turned towards the door as it swung open, revealing a young, brown-haired, blue-eyed man. He looked overly confident like most of the people Balthazar had come across in the building when he first came in.

"Mr. Blake, my name's Jeremy Griffith," He introduced himself, taking a seat across from the sorcerer. "I'm going to have to ask you a few questions-"

"Before we begin with all of this," Balthazar interrupted, eyes narrowing. He leaned forward and said quietly, "Dave just found out about his parents' deaths not even an hour ago. I want to be alerted immediately if he starts to have an emotional breakdown or anything of the sort and be taken to him right away, Mr. Griffith. Can you let Melanie What's-Her-Face know that?"

Jeremy eyed Balthazar, visibly disbelieving and surprised by the man's concern, only nodded. Pulling out his phone, he dialed a number. The phone rang, able to be heard throughout the almost empty, silent room.

"Melanie? It's Jeremy. The guy you just shoved in here with me says that if the Stutlers' kid starts freaking out or crying or something to call me so we can get him back in there to calm him down. Alright?"

Melanie must have said something that Jeremy took as a yes, for he shut the phone closed and leaned back in his seat.

"I'll try and make this quick, Mr. Blake. I don't wanna be here anymore then you do, man." Jeremy bluntly stated. "We'll start with the easy questions. How do you know the deceased?"

"I don't."

"Then why the hell are you here and wasting my time?" Jeremy raised an eyebrow.

"I know their son. I came here to make sure that he wasn't falsely arrested. I was with him all of last night, so he couldn't of killed his parents. Easy as that." Balthazar toyed with the rim of his hat, taking it off of his head.

"Why were you with him last night?"

"We room together in a house near the suburbs, boy." Balthazar snorted, rolling his eyes at the investigator's suspicious tone. "His parents didn't exactly help pay for anything. I met Dave almost a year ago and we moved in together a little while back. I pay most of the expenses; He cooks, cleans, and does jobs for me when I'm busy."

Jeremy shot him an incredulous look. "How the hell did that arrangement happen? I would of thought the kid would want to live somewhere where he could impress the ladies."

Balthazar rolled his eyes. "Have you seen Dave?" He asked rhetorically. "He isn't exactly a womanizer. A great, wonderful kid, don't get me wrong. Extremely sweet, extremely sensitive. But also, a very big physics nerd. Girls just can't keep up with his intellect. Plus, Dave himself just went through a pretty rough break up. He's staying away from relationships, for now."

_I hope. _

Inwardly gagging at his gossiping tone, Balthazar forced himself to retain a casual, innocent posture and voice. _Talk about normal things,_ he reminded himself. _Let him think that you're just a casual, friendly person. _

"That doesn't explain why you and him are living together, though." Jeremy reminded the other man, looking extremely bored.

Balthazar shrugged. "Someone needs to be there for Dave. I've grown fond of the kid."

He wouldn't be surprised if that was the biggest understatement of the millennium.

* * *

"We can't let you leave yet," Jeremy explained to Balthazar as they walked out of the room they had just spent an hour talking in. "You or Dave. Something came up in the case, so we have to keep all potential subjects in our view."

Balthazar shot Jeremy an incredulous look that mimicked the one the investigator had been using throughout their entire "conversation". "Why?"

"Like I said, something came up and there's a chance that we'll have more questions after we analyze what we found. It's easier keeping you two here then driving you back and forth. Feel free to walk around and grab something to eat from the vending machine, just don't leave the building."

Balthazar closed his eyes, exhaling slowly. "Fine. Whatever." He was tired and more then ready to go home. After an hour of talking like an gossiping old woman, his anxiety was starting to grow.

_What if Dave found out? What if Dave didn't forgive him? What if Dave left? What if Dave-?_

Shaking his head, he rolled his eyes. He snorted in disgust, directed towards himself. What kind of master was he if he was doubting his apprentice's loyalty? Dave had taken an oath after Morgana's death that he would stay with Balthazar until he was finished learning. Dave would understand, and everything would be fine and back to normal between the two of them.

_Hopefully. _

* * *

"There is no way that half of those questions were necessary," Dave groaned, slamming the front door behind him and Balthazar as they walked inside. "No possible way..."

"It could have been worse," Balthazar reminded him, kicking his shoes off and taking his leather jacket off with a shrug.

Dave stared at him blankly. "Five hours. I was forced to sit in that room for five hours since I was their only suspect. I'm starving and tired."

Balthazar slapped his back, forcing cheerfulness into the move. "Well, look at it this way. We're home now, you can grab something to eat before going to bed, and I'm fairly sure that your teachers won't be too mad if you miss classes tomorrow."

The apprentice shot Balthazar a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"Your parents just died, David," Balthazar said slowly, making sure Dave heard each syllable. "Did you miss what those five hours of being questioned was for?"

Dave turned away suddenly, his back to Balthazar as he made his way into the kitchen.

"O-of course not. I-I was just... I wasn't really thinking about why I was there, I-I was trying to ignore everything." Dave laughed, scuttling around as he searched for something to eat. Opening cabinets, eyes not really taking in anything he was looking at, he continued to babble meaninglessly. "I-it was a lot easier to answer the questions without thinking about why I had to answer them, and it w-was-"

His hands were captured by Balthazar's, stopping his frantic hunt for a distraction. Balthazar's hands were cold around Dave's, his thumbs rubbing circles soothingly.

"Dave. Breathe." Balthazar commanded quietly, pulling him over to the couch. "Just breathe for a little while. Don't worry about anything. Focus on breathing. Because you really, really just need to relax."

"But-"

"Dave." His tone was sharper this time, like when he was teaching him a spell and was telling him to do it again. "Relax. We can talk in the morning. We can work everything out. Everything will be fine."

It was painful, seeing Dave gaze up at Balthazar with such a lost look. He really didn't know what to do, and Balthazar felt a pang of guilt run through him.

This was his fault. It was his fault that Dave was confused, that Dave was hurting...

For once, it wasn't one of those times where it wasn't really his fault, he was just thinking it was. It really, truly, honest-to-God, was his fault. He'd be damned, though, if he didn't try to make it better.

Dave wasn't his first priority, he thought as he used a mild charm to calm the younger male down. He was his _only_ priority.

A small, sad grin played itself out on his lips as Dave sat down on the couch, leaning back and rubbing his eyes tiredly.

Balthazar may not admit it out loud. Dave may not admit it out loud _or_ mentally. They both knew, though, that they needed each other.

Balthazar needed Dave's companionship and attention. Dave needed Balthazar's understanding and guidance.

And now...

Neither had anyone else. They were all each other had left.

* * *

A/N- Like I said, not my favorite chapter, and not as long as my other chapters, but I hope it appeases you guys for now. I'm always open to everyone's opinions, so please review if you can! Thank you!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N- I am SOOO sorry that this took so long! I've had band camp for the past week, which has made it really hard to get online and actually get anything typed up. I've been exhausted every day when I get home, so I haven't really wanted to do anything but chill out on the couch and take a nap. (Four hours of marching does that to you, apparently... :P )

The next chapter will probably take a little while too, though I'll try my best to get it up as soon as I can! Thank you for being patient!

* * *

"Is it wrong that I don't miss them?"

Balthazar looked up from the book he was reading, frowning. "I'm not exactly the best person to be asking about this, Dave."

Dave was sitting in the Merlin's Circle indian-style, his elbows on his knees and his chin resting in his hands. He was staring at the ceiling, his conflicted emotions showing on his tired face.

"Just answer, Balthazar. I just want to have someone's opinion that isn't mine."

"The morally correct answer would be, 'Of course it's wrong. They were your parents, you should miss them on some emotional level.'" He snorted, rolling his eyes. "What I really think? You don't have to miss them. You don't have to feel anything for them. In all of the years that I have lived through, I have learned that you can't help some things." Dave's head tilted down slightly so he could send Balthazar a questioning look. "Like... You can't help it if you feel angry. You can't help it if you are upset about something." Balthazar shrugged, uncomfortable with the topic. "There are some things one can't control. It's part of being human."

Dave mulled over this, his gaze wandering to the ground in front of him.

Balthazar let the book he was holding flop closed. It fell from his hands to one of the multiple tables in the lab, the slap of its cover and the surface of the table echoing. Uncertainly, he made his way over to his apprentice, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"It's not a crime to hate, Dave," Balthazar murmured gently, his thumb tracing circles on Dave's skin.

Dave pushed himself to his feet, inadvertently removing Balthazar's hand from his form. "I don't..." He swallowed, his back facing Balthazar. "I don't really hate them. I think... I think I hate that they took away any chance of me having a normal family. That's all."

Balthazar said nothing, allowing Dave to vent in his own stammering way.

"I don't miss them... But I don't hate them."

Balthazar didn't have the heart to call Dave out on his lie this one time.

* * *

Melanie growled, slamming a fist onto the table.

"I'm telling you that he's guilty!" She snapped, glaring at the people around her. Jeremy rolled his eyes, leaning his elbows on the metal table in front of their team. "This kid was totally nervous, and his answers rarely matched up!"

"Did you ever think that maybe the kid was nervous because he was being questioned by a cop?" Jeremy raised an eyebrow challengingly, inwardly smirking when he saw the woman's face turn red with anger. "Dave's a twenty year old that has no evidence of any criminal activity. It would be unnerving for him to have to speak with an intimidating investigator like you, Melanie."

Her face twisted into a scowl. "That wasn't why he was nervous. He was fine until I started questioning him."

"Then that just means he was uncomfortable about the topic of conversation," Jeremy retorted, his temper gradually beginning to fray. "It doesn't mean that he is guilty."

"Why are you defending him?" Her voice was exasperated. "You weren't the one to spend hours talking to him."

"I'm just saying that it doesn't mean he was guilty just because he was nervous." Jeremy sighed, tiring of the conversation. "Anxiety could mean anything. He could have had a crush on you, he might have been having an off day, he might just be a paranoid person... It could be ANYTHING, Melanie. We can't just automatically assume that he's the one that killed those people."

"Call it a feeling, but I know he did it."

"Call it a feeling, but I know he didn't do it." He mocked, sneering as he got out of his seat and stormed out of the door.

* * *

Balthazar was reluctant to let Dave out of his sight, not wanting the young sorcerer to leave the house. He was wary, unsure if Dave would be able to protect himself from Morganians with his emotional turmoil. The mental unease he had from his parents' death was only a few days old, and it would be far too easy for them to distract him, keeping him from being able to clear his mind for spells. Dave was persistent, though, not wanting to be cooped up in the house any longer then Balthazar had already made him stay. Sitting in a house for almost a week with nothing to do but read his Incantus and science books was beginning to get boring.

"I'll be fine," Dave insisted, taking a bite out of the apple he was holding as he ran out the door. Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, he waved goodbye to Balthazar. "Later!"

He snickered lightly when he heard Balthazar's exasperated sigh. Disappearing down the street, he stuck one hand into his pocket, the other one reaching for the gold chain lying on his chest.

Fingering the necklace, he mentally reprimanded himself for not remembering to ask Balthazar about it. It wasn't like the man to just hand him something without giving an explanation. Even if it was just something like a cup of water, he always clarified whatever action he was doing. At least, he had always clarified his actions ever since Dave demanded answers from him.

His fingers twitched as he thought back to their first few days together. Their relationship had been tense, to put it mildly. Balthazar had needed Dave's trust to be able to teach him. Dave hadn't been able to trust Balthazar, needing a legitimate reason to place his trust in the older man. Balthazar had been desperate, needing Dave to learn as fast as possible in order to ensure Morgana's defeat. Dave had been confused and frightened, unable to grasp the severity of the situation.

It was obvious to anyone they were in a tough position.

Dave, admittedly, hadn't handled their situation as well as he should have. In his defense, he wasn't used to blindly trusting anyone. Balthazar had popped up out of nowhere, basically informing Dave that he had to save the world within a few days' time.

Dave wasn't a trusting or believing person. He needed solid facts and evidence to fully place his faith in anything. Balthazar, while he had given him evidence to believe in magic, hadn't given him proof of his claims.

How was Dave supposed to know that he was fighting for the right side? How was Dave supposed to know that he wasn't helping the villain? How was Dave supposed to know that Balthazar was even who he said he was?

Dave had finally hit his breaking point after one of their encounters with Horvath. With their enemy talking about "her" and the Prime Merlinian, it had heightened Dave's fright to the point where he had panicked.

He had demanded answers from his master, his eyes pleading for information. He was a man of science; He needed information to function. When there were holes in his knowledge, he had to fill them as soon as possible.

He had been scared.

And when Balthazar finally answered, finally told him what he was born to do, Dave had acted irrationally, something he cursed himself for doing afterward.

He ran, babbling the entire time and nearly ruining his and Balthazar's already unstable relationship. He ran away like a coward.

He would never forgive himself for that moment of weakness.

In his entire life, he had never run away. When his mother had come home, angry with him for coming home yet again with a note from his teacher, he had stood his ground, staring at his feet in shame. When Vergil had disciplined him, his voice smooth and sly, causing him to have doubts about himself, he stayed, rooted to the spot and handling the words as best as he could.

Running away had never crossed his mind. He may have been many different things. A loser, a socially awkward boy, an insane freak... But a coward was not one of them.

He had never been so ashamed in himself.

And when he was running back into his lab, barely saving Balthazar from having knives imbedded into his face, he knew that he wouldn't of been capable of leaving forever, even if he wanted to.

He needed Balthazar, as cliché as that sounded. He needed magic, he needed to learn more, he needed everything Balthazar had to offer him. Leaving it behind... It wouldn't of been possible. He subconsciously craved the presence of the first person to notice him and to treat him like a person.

Balthazar, whether he knew it or not, had Dave wrapped around his finger. Balthazar, if he desired it, could battle the Prime Merlinian at full power, intending to hurt him, and Dave wouldn't fight back. He wouldn't be able to. *

Dave had caught Balthazar's eyes as they ran into his car after Horvath and Drake, his own eyes begging for forgiveness.

Balthazar's eyes never wavered as he gave a single nod, reassuring him. Forgiving him.

Ever since then, Balthazar had explained everything he did. Whether it be helping him to his feet, or handing him a mug of warm milk, he explained and described whatever he was doing. In return, Dave tried his best to work harder. He tried to be more understanding with his master.

Which brought Dave back to his original thoughts about the necklace Balthazar had given him out of the blue.

The simple design of it led him to believe it didn't mean anything. Maybe Balthazar just wanted him to have something to let him know he wasn't alone.

On the other hand, the plain composition of the item could also make it mean something. It could hold some sort of purpose, which needed to look plain so it wouldn't draw attention.

Dave shook his head, rolling his eyes as he let the necklace fall from his fingers, lying against his chest once more. He was over thinking things, as usual. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence for him to make a big deal over nothing. All he had to do was wait until after school. He could ask Balthazar about it when he got home.

Until then, he would let it slip to the back of his mind.

* * *

Police, Balthazar decided bitterly, were some of the most annoying creatures to ever be created.

"Look, it's just a few more questions, and then we'll, hopefully, never have to bother him again," The woman hissed out through gritted teeth.

Balthazar tilted his head to the side, inquiring curiously, "What's your name again? It's completely slipped my mind at the moment."

"Melanie Cameron." Her tone was irritated.

"Well, Miss Cameron," Balthazar's tone was pleasant as he crossed his arms, leaning against the doorway casually. "I will let Dave know."

When she opened her mouth, most likely to persist in seeing him now, he added, equally pleasant to his earlier statement, "So leave. Like, now."

With an affronted, offended glare, she huffed, spinning on her heel and stalking out to their driveway. Her red hair bounced behind her, and Balthazar could imagine angry steam pouring out of her ears.

He smirked, slamming the door shut loudly. It never ceased to amaze him how amusing it was to annoy stupid people.

* * *

Dave shot up in his seat, the hairs on the back of his neck rising. Eyes darting around, his hand clenched into a fist, spells flashing through his mind. His posture was rigid, his thoughts immediately turning to how to best solve what was about to happen. Magic was sizzling in the air. He felt it prickling at his skin, increasing his paranoia.

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down. He didn't flinch when the bell rang and nearly every student sprinted out of their seats. It didn't take long for the last lingering students to leave. Once they were gone, Dave flicked a finger at the door, shutting it quietly.

"You're good," A feminine voice complimented him from behind. "Though I should have expected such from the defeater of Morgana."

Dave turned, grinning nervously. "Er, thanks?"

A blond-haired, older woman was glaring at him. She was sitting on top of one of the many desks, her legs crossed at the ankle, barely visible beneath her long denim skirt. She was at least in her late thirties, if not her early forties. Her eyes were a cold, dark blue, with little crow's feet at the edges of them. Jewelry adorned her frame, and a rustic colored shawl was draped across her shoulders.

"Well, aren't you a cute little kid?" She spat, pushing herself off of the desk and making a striking motion with her arm in one fluid motion. Dave dove to the ground as light blue flames flew past him.

"I'm assuming that wasn't a compliment this time..." Dave grumbled, ducking once more as more flames were thrown in his direction. "Can I ask why you're attacking?"

"'Why'?" She laughed, storming forward. Dave jumped to his feet, backing up until he hit the wall. With a wince, he realized he would have to fight back if he didn't want to be burnt to death by the woman. She slammed a hand by his head, and he pressed himself further against the wall. "Because you know what I've spent my entire life doing, kid? I've trained and learned everything I possibly could about magic. Ever since I was nine, I've been training!"

Dave quickly blocked her other hand from hitting him across the face, grabbing it and pushing it outwards.

"And yet, here you are!" She snarled, stomping on his foot to try and keep him in place. "You, a kid that didn't have to go through anything to get powerful! You had it handed to you on a silver platter! You had it given to you! You didn't have to do anything! You-!"

Dave took advantage of this moment. Slamming a fist outwards, the woman was thrown backwards, flying through the air. She fell to the ground with a yell, falling awkwardly on, ironically enough, Dave's usual seat.

With a growl, she jumped to her feet and pointed a glowing hand at Dave.

"You're finished, kid. Finished. I trained for my entire life to gain glory, and I'll be damned if I let you continue getting that glory!"

Dave wasn't able to move fast enough to avoid the green beam of light that hit him. His pupils dilated to pinpricks, and his skin gained a gaunt appearance. The strange woman grinned victoriously, stalking forward slowly.

Knees buckling, he fell to the ground, one attempting to grasp at the wall, while the other shoved against his ear. His mouth was open in a silent scream, eyes slamming shut tightly. He finally leaned against the wall, using both hands to cover his ears.

Words from his past roared in his ears, overlapping each other. It was unbearable, and a complete mess, yet he could understand every painful syllable he heard.

"_Get out!" _

"_You deserve this." _

"_What are you doing? That's wrong!" _

"_Your so weird! Go away! We don't want you here!" _

"_I hate you. I hate you so much, David." _

Every single hurtful word spoken to him in his life was brought to the forefront of his thoughts. They shouted and roared in his ears, lingering there. They overlapped each other, taking their time and making sure Dave felt the full sting of the words.

He whimpered, curling in on himself. It hurt, both physically and emotionally. His head was pounding, and each word cut him, deepening hardly healed wounds.

"P-please stop..." He choked out hysterically. "Please! J-just make it stop!"

Over the loudness, over everything that was bellowing at him, he could vaguely make out a calm voice that was commonly known to him.

After what seemed like an eternity of endless voices, he felt a hand press against his forehead. A spark of something akin to electricity hit him, flowing through his body briefly, before calming blackness utterly engulfed him into its waiting arms.

* * *

A/N- So there you have it! Chapter 5! Hope to see reviews from you guys if you can! Thanks for reading!


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